SEE A RECAP OF THIS YEAR'S SYMPOSIUM

Allison Wright Clark is a music executive, music supervisor, and producer, as well as a music licensing, publishing, and A&R expert. She worked with Hans Zimmer and his team for over seven years and with the Jonas Group for three years. Her projects span many media forms, including blockbuster films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, television shows such as The Good Wife, hit video games including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and advertising for major brands such as Nike and Coca-Cola. Clark is an educator as well, teaching the Music Supervision for Film and TV course at UCLA Extension in Los Angeles.

Amanda Shoffner is the Senior Director of Film + TV/Visual Media Membership at ASCAP. She spent time working alongside the A&R and creative teams at Warner Bros Records and has served as a Junior Creative on both the advertising and film & television licensing teams at Secret Road Music Services. She is now marrying those experiences and serving the members of ASCAP, where she helps composers, songwriters, and creators find the tools they need to create robust careers and keep money in their pockets.

Amy Ward is an American songwriter based in Kansas City, brings her music to global audiences with performances at renowned venues like Madison Square Garden, Kauffman Stadium, and T-Mobile Center, as well as recognition on Fox 25 Boston and ABC’s KMBC Kansas City. In films and television, she contributes as a songwriter, singer, and producer, including A California Christmas: City Lights (Netflix), The Wedding Date, Say Yes to the Dress, NCIS, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless, to name a few.

 An accomplished musician, she often prepares songs for sync licensing, achieving hundreds of song placements on primetime TV, daytime TV, major motion pictures, and independent films. 

Beyond her musical pursuits, she holds leadership roles as a member of The Recording Academy Chicago Chapter, IFCKC, and Berklee Alumni. 

With a degree from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Amy has received accolades from the New York Songwriters Circle Awards, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and NJPAC. 

On the horizon, Amy lands two songs in the upcoming film, Viral, directed by Blair Underwood, and her first song in an animated film, A Tooth Fairy Tale, in theaters and streaming now.  

Angela Lauer is an Emmy®-nominated songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. The youngest daughter of famed country songwriter Ben Peters (Charley Pride, Brenda Lee, Kenny Rogers), Lauer’s childhood was richly steeped in performance, music, and lyrics.

Lauer’s ethereal, hook-laden music has appeared in countless television shows and films including Nashville, Tell Me A Story, Teen Mom, The Runaways, Siesta Key, All My Children, Good Trouble, Love Club, Siesta Key, The Kardashians, and Selling Sunset and has also served as the backdrop for notable brand campaigns such as Tiffany’s, Target, Nordstrom, Windows 8, Toyota’s partnership with The Voice, and NFL MyCause with Patrick Mahomes. In addition to producing her own music, Lauer is a frequent collaborator in several sync projects, including Bien (Secret Road) alongside her husband, Tim, and Jessie Early.

Emmy® award-winner, Ashley Irwin, has written music for over 1,000 hours of film and television, and more than 3,000 commercials. He relocated from his native Australia to the U.S.A. in 1990 after a successful career in theatre, records, advertising and television.

He began his endless quest to understand the complexities of music licensing and associated contracts, as the in-house producer and A&R manager for an independent record label in Sydney, started his first publishing company in 1989 and currently maintains publishing entities at ASCAP, BMI and APRA.

In 1998 he was awarded Best Feature Film Score by the Australian Guild of Screen Composers for his score to the restored silent classic The White Hell of Piz Palü and the following year commissioned by the British Film Archives to write a new score to Alfred Hitchcock’s silent classic The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, in honor of the great director’s 100th anniversary. Both these films continue to be performed in film-live concerts throughout the world.

In 2006, Ashley received a G.A.N.G. award for EA’s The Godfather video game, based on the Academy Award-winning film.

Well known for his collaborations with Oscar® winners Clint Eastwood and Bill Conti, Ashley has arranged and composed music for 22 Academy Awards shows several Emmys® and Grammys®, as well a slew of other TV variety shows. He was Musical Director for the inaugural Screen Actors Guild Awards and for the American Giving Awards, both for NBC.

In 2015 Ashley recreated the songs of Peter Allen for the mini-series Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door and was nominated for both AACTA and APRA-AMCOSawards. 

He is an official APRA-AMCOS Ambassador, is co-chair of Music Creators North America, and has been president of the Society of Composers & Lyricists for the past 11 years where he is currently in his 6th 2-year term.

Austin Wintory is known for the curiosity and exploration that have been at the core of his career. In total, Austin has garnered 2 BAFTA® Awards (among 7 nominations), a historic first-ever video game soundtrack Grammy® nomination (plus 2 additional nominations), an Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences DICE award (among 3 other nominations), 19 Game Audio Network Guild awards (among 45 nominations), 2 ASCAP Composer Choice awards (among 7 nominations) and 3 nominations from the Society of Composers and Lyricists. Known principally for his work in video games, his music can be heard in a wide range of titles, from the critically acclaimed innovators (Journey, ABZÛ, Stray Gods, and The Banner Saga) to AAA blockbusters (Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Aliens Fireteam Elite, LEGO Fortnite, and Towerborne).

After nearly a decade scoring independent films and games, Austin’s career took a leap forward on the back of thatgamecompany’s hit PS3 title Journey. The soundtrack album debuted on the Billboard charts higher than any prior game’s original score, and in December 2012, became the first game score ever nominated for a Grammy. On the heels of Journey, subsequent game scores of Austin’s include The Banner Saga trilogy; Giant Squid’s debut title ABZÛ and its followup, The Pathless; Ubisoft’s Victorian-era Assassin’s Creed Syndicate; the innovative FMV game Erica; the co-op squad shooter ALIENS: Fireteam Elite; Pocketwatch Games’ indie darlings Monaco and Tooth and Tail; the remake of the infamous 80s romp Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded; Mike Bithell’s strategy/action John Wick Hex, Epic Games’ open world LEGO Fortnite; EA’s mobile reimagination of the 90s RTS classic Command & Conquer: Rivals; and Sloclap’s stylized martial arts debut Absolver. Austin most notably wrote one of League of Legends’ most popular champion themes, “Volibear: The Relentless Storm.”

In 2024, Austin re-teamed with Supergiant Games’ composer Darren Korb and contributed orchestral music to the forthcoming Hades 2, amongst multiple other upcoming releases: Giant Squid’s Sword of the Sea, Yellow Brick Games’ Eternal Strands, Stoic Studio’s Towerborne, and Pocketwatch Games’ Monaco 2.

In the world of film, Austin has scored over 60 features including multiple indie hits: Captain Abu Raed (2008 Sundance winner), Grace (2009 Sundance hit, starring Jordan Ladd), The Last Movie Star (Burt Reynolds’ final film), A Little Help (the leading role debut of The Office’s Jenna Fischer), Bullet Head (starring Adrien Brody, John Malkovich and Antonio Banderas), several acclaimed documentaries such as Tread and the EMMY-nominated Chowchilla (CNN films), and the continuous-take action films One Shot and One More Shot (directed by James Nunn, starring Scott Adkins). His TV work includes the Netflix international hit Thai Cave Rescue and Amazon’s Big Dogs. Most recently, Austin scored Clark Baker’s 80s horror Test Screening, and Michael Russell Gunn’s political drama Reykjavik (starring Jeff Daniels, JK Simmons, and Jared Harris).

Beth Sass wrote her first song at age 12, inspired by her poet mother and legendary artists like the Beatles, Laura Nyro, Dusty Springfield, and Leonard Cohen. After high school, she attended Berklee College of Music to study composition, where her reputation grew thanks to her poignant songwriting and elegant piano work. Encouraged by a professor, she sent her work to several publishing companies in Nashville, and soon Tree Publishing, then a powerhouse in the industry, signed songs from her catalog. 

Rather than moving to Nashville immediately, Beth remained in the Boston area, where she performed solo at colleges, coffee houses, and packed piano bars. Her emotionally charged music soon found a devoted audience. Eventually, Nashville called, and Beth became a staff songwriter at Multimedia Music and later Maypop Music Group (founded by the band Alabama). There, she was mentored by country greats Don Pfrimmer and John Jarrad, while supporting herself as a honky-tonk keyboardist, demo singer, and touring musician with acts like Herb Reed and the Platters, The Drifters, and The Coasters. 

Her original work found wider recognition when she began recording with producer Richard Adler (who has worked with the likes of Neil Young, Dolly Parton, and Alison Krauss). Her song “Naomi” reached #1 in the Acoustic category on garageband.com, while “Stampede” was selected for Shuteye Records’ American compilation, The United States of Americana. She continued to write and release music, including her 2012 album Knowing Me, a deeply personal six-song collaboration with producer Jerome Kimbrough that was described as “a season of feelings.” 

In recent years, Beth teamed up with rock legend Walter Egan (known for his song “Magnet and Steel”), co-writing and releasing a full album titled Webs. Just in time for her latest project, Blue Blind Sky, she received an endorsement from Casio Music Gear to promote their keyboards across the U.S. Reflecting on the new album, Beth describes it as “a phoenix of magnificent creative teamwork rising out of pandemic-era separation.”

Charlie Sanders is an attorney and professor who is one of the entertainment industry’s leading international rights advocates for music creators. He currently serves as the longtime chairman of the National Music Council of the United States (the umbrella organization for American music rights and education groups) and as outside counsel to the Songwriters Guild of America. He is likewise a principal advisor to Music Creators North America, Fair Trade Music International, and the Native American Music Association. Sanders previously served as a copyright fellow at New York University School of Law, and has subsequently taught music history and law as an adjunct professor at NYU for over 25 years. He is also a former studio musician, a platinum and Emmy® award-winning producer and former Recording Academy/Grammy NY board member, and the former chair of the music community’s leading social outreach charity, WhyHunger.  

From 1986 to 2004, Sanders served as counsel to the US National Music Publishers Association, during which time he oversaw the distribution of over $4 billion in royalties.  Finally, Sanders is one of the world’s leading ski mountaineers (having completed downhill ski descents on all seven continents, including Antarctica, the Arctic, and the Himalayas), and now serves as chairman of the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

Chris Wirsig is an award-winning composer, songwriter and producer, whose music can be heard in the upcoming alcoholism drama feature Five Things To Love, the werewolf drama feature Aware Of The Wolf, the award-winning documentary series Halloween Obsessed, the vampire feature The Things We Cannot Change, several short movies, and in numerous TV shows like Ancient Aliens, The Curse Of Oak Island, The Real Murders Of… and many others on ABC, E!, MTV, History, Oxygene, Fox Sports and more. Other projects include the pilot for an LGBTQ+ animated comedy series, Be More Popcorn, the cyberpunk boxing drama Steel Will, the 1830’s period horror drama The Knocker, and charity projects with cover versions of Depeche Mode's “People Are People” with 36 musicians and singers, and a Heavy Metal version of the Ukrainian National Anthem benefitting the Red Cross.

On the songwriting/producing side, Chris started the acclaimed Electro Pop/Dark Wave band no:carrier in 1995 and the Electronica/Chill-Out project Virtual Conformity in 2001, as well as several side projects. He’s also co-writing and producing songs with other artists and songwriters like Psyche, Lori Barth, Briana Cash, Daniel E. Wakefield, Liza Marie Sparks, Queen Chameleon, The Dust Ryde, echoekill, and many others.

Chris is a Board Member and the SongArts chair of the Society Of Composers and Lyricists, as well as a member of the Television Academy, the Recording Academy, and the Production Music Association.

Christopher Young is a Golden Globe® and two-time Emmy®-nominated composer who has scored an impressive number of features in virtually every genre, all with strikingly original music. In 2020, the Young-scored film Sinister (Blumhouse), for director Scott Derrickson, was ranked as the scariest movie of all time. Most recently, Young has teamed up with the master of horror, Guillermo del Toro, on his Cabinet of Curiosities series for Netflix. And AppleTV+ has Chris scoring their exciting new series, Echo 3. Released in 2022 were two studio features, Abyzou and The Piper. Young had a box-office hit in 2019 with Pet Sematary for Paramount Pictures. The 2021 crime/thriller The Empty Man for 20th Century Fox/Studios let Young experiment with different musical colors to create a gritty musical landscape. Young retimed with legendary director Sam Raimi on his 50 States of Fright series on the brand new streaming service, Quibi. These, along with over 160 more films, embody the work of this prolific composer. Other notable credits include the spine-tingling Hellraiser, which showcased Young’s seminal upbringing in horror; the new-techno sound of Swordfish, displaying his versatility; the resonant, genuine Celtic sounds of The Shipping News, displaying his attention to detail; and the heart-pounding rhythms of Spider-Man 3, all of which are evidence of his willingness to experiment. 

Born in Red Bank, New Jersey (birthplace of Count Basie), Young graduated from Massachusetts Hampshire college with a BA in music, and did post-graduate work at North Texas State University before moving to Los Angeles in 1980. At the time, Young was a jazz drummer, a precursor to some of the edgier scores he would later complete. Soon, an introduction to esteemed composer Bernard Herrmann’s movie scores (Vertigo, Citizen Kane) opened up a new world for Young, who was unfamiliar with film scoring. “Here was someone doing everything I wanted to do. I fell in love with the music before I realized that it was written for movies,” said Young.

Cindy O’Connor is an accomplished composer and performer in film, television, and theater. She received an Emmy® nomination for the hit ABC series Once Upon a Time, and her music can be heard in all seven series of the show on Disney+. Other recent projects include The Professional Bridesmaid, Rip in Time, The Blessing Bracelet (Hallmark), Red River Road (Amazon Prime), and Forgiving the Franklins, a darkly comedic musical about sex, shame, and religion. 

Her theatrical musicals include All That He Was, winner of the American College Theatre Festival and published by Concord Theatricals; La Llorona/The Crying Woman (Off-Broadway); 40 is the New 15 (NoHo Arts Center); and the recent Chicago hit parody, Flies! The Musical (Pride Arts Center). Her choral and orchestral works have been performed by the Gay Men’s Choruses of San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles; the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra; Orquesta Sinfonia de Puerto Rico; the Moravian Philharmonic; and the Boca del Rio Philharmonic.

As a performer, she has sung on over a dozen film and TV soundtracks, and she spent four years touring as a keyboard player and singer with rock superstar Pat Benatar. She has performed as a singer and music director with Petra Haden at the Ford, the Getty, and David Byrne’s Meltdown Festival in London.

Cindy serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Composers and Lyricists and currently runs the Mentor Program in Los Angeles. She is grateful every day for the chance to collaborate with talented artists to tell stories that touch people’s hearts and explore the wonders of the human spirit.

Cris Velasco is one of the most sought-after composers working today in media, scoring some of video games' biggest franchises, including God of War, Mass Effect, Borderlands, Fortnite, and Overwatch. He has maintained an active career in the game industry with over a hundred other original scores, such as Bloodborne, Resident Evil, The Long Dark, Assassin’s Creed, Company of Heroes 2, and Darksiders. He has also worked extensively in VR with award-winning titles like Star Wars: Vader Immortal and The Invisible Hours.

Cris is also a passionate art collector and has curated a number of dark and surreal art exhibits around the country, including a solo show for Clive Barker called Wunderkammer and a tribute show to H.P. Lovecraft called From the Depths. Cris’ artistic involvement with Clive turned into a number of collaborations as well when he scored Clive Barker’s Jericho and an animated project for Books of Blood.

Velasco regularly brings his skills as a multi-instrumentalist to his music. As an award-winning classical guitarist, he also has a studio full of other interesting stringed instruments like GuitarViol, morin khuur, shamisen, charango, and marimacho. They can all be frequently heard as a backdrop to many of his scores, adding a unique tone to his orchestral palette. 

Cris’ music is also regularly performed by symphony orchestras around the world. He has received numerous awards and accolades, including “Outstanding Achievement in Original Composition” from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, IGN’s People's Choice Award - Best Music, NBC News’ Award for Best Video Game Music, and multiple nominations for Best Original Music from BAFTA®.

Danny Lux is an Emmy®-nominated composer whose work has shaped the musical identity of more than 2,300 episodes of television and numerous feature films. A native of Los Angeles who recently relocated to Nashville, Lux has composed memorable scores for acclaimed series including Grey’s Anatomy, Boston Legal, Ally McBeal, Manifest, and My Name Is Earl, as well as the feature film Halloween: Resurrection.

He launched his career under the mentorship of legendary composer Mike Post, earning early credits on Silk Stalkings, News Radio, and NYPD Blue. His distinctive style—marked by emotional depth and sonic versatility—has earned him multiple BMI Film & TV Awards and dozens of SESAC TV Awards, recognizing his enduring contributions to the television industry.

Renowned for blending traditional instrumentation with modern sound design, Lux continues to bring a fresh, cinematic voice to both network and streaming productions from his new home base in Nashville.

Dara Taylor has emerged as a fresh voice in the world of scoring music to pictures, as evidenced by her score to Marvel Studios' Ironheart and Amazon Studios’ film The Tender Bar, directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker George Clooney.

She recently scored the Taraji P. Henson drama Straw; Netflix’s Meet Me Next Christmas, for which she received an SCL Award Nomination in 2025; Netflix and Shondaland’s Black Barbie; Universal Pictures' comedy Strays, starring Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx; Sony Pictures/Screen Gems’ The Invitation, for which she received an SCL Award Nomination in 2023; and Netflix’s The Noel Diary, directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Charles Shyer.

Her other credits include the Amazon series The Boys: Diabolical; the Lionsgate comedy Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, starring Kristen Wiig and Jamie Dornan, which she co-scored with Christopher Lennertz; the Warner Bros. animated feature Scoob! Holiday Haunt; Dawn Porter documentaries’ 37 Words and Power of the Dream; the action crime drama Echo Boomers, starring Michael Shannon; the Netflix series Bookmarks; the Universal/1440 animated feature Curious George: Cape Ahoy; the Netflix docu-series Trial By Media; the FX series Pride; and the Karen Allen-starred drama Colewell, for which she won a 2019 Hollywood Music in Media award. 

Dara is a proud Governor of the Recording Academy’s LA Chapter, a member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists’ Early Career Committee, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Television Academy, Composers Diversity Collective, and Alliance of Women Film Composers. 

Darren Higman started in soundtracks at both MCA Records & Atlantic Records, became General Manager of Tag Recordings and Big Beat Records, and also worked as a music supervisor prior to his current position as Executive Vice President of Warner Bros. Pictures Music.

In June 2005, Higman moved to Warner Bros. Pictures, where he continues to oversee all music for the slate of motion pictures from development through production and on to completion. In his role as Executive Vice President for Warner Bros. Pictures Music, he interacts with the filmmakers, the Creative team, the Production & Post Production teams, the Marketing team, and the soundtrack labels.

As EVP at Warner Bros. Pictures Music, Higman has worked on over 70 films, some of which are: ATL, Happy Feet, The Blood Diamond, Music and Lyrics, August Rush, Yes Man, Watchmen, Where the Wild Things Are, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, Sucker Punch, Arthur, Crazy Stupid Love, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Magic Mike, The Great Gatsby, Man of Steel, Her, 300: Rise of an Empire, Edge of Tomorrow, The Judge, Run All Night, Mad Max: Fury Road, Magic Mike XXL, The Intern, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Justice League, Ready Player One, Ocean’s 8, A Star Is Born, Just Mercy, Birds of Prey, Scoob!, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, In The Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, King Richard, Father of the Bride, Elvis, The Color Purple Musical, Furiosa, Alto Knights, Minecraft, and Superman. 

Higman received a Grammy® Nomination for his work on Suicide Squad. Many of his projects were also awarded. Happy Feet won a Golden Globe® for Best Original Song, A Star Is Born won an Oscar® for Best Original Song, and King Richard garnered Beyoncé her first-ever Oscar Nomination for Best Original Song.

Some of Higman’s upcoming projects include Flowervale Street, Practical Magic 2, Bad Fairies, Dynamic Duo, Lunar Chronicles, and more.

David Das is a Grammy®-nominated composer and music producer based in Los Angeles. His experience covers the range from feature films, TV shows, cartoons, commercials, trailers, and other media work, over to modern music production, choral and orchestral writing/arranging, and more. He has worked on projects for Lionsgate, Fox, Disney, DirecTV, Dreamworks, Fremantle, Intel, BBDO, HBO, PBS, TLC, Telemundo, Weight Watchers, Coca Cola, Hal Leonard, and many others. He has composed music for dozens of TV shows, scored films (such as Lionsgate’s feature thriller The Appearing and the human trafficking drama Trafficked), worked on music teams (Jordan Peele's US, HBO's Allen v. Farrow, both with composer Michael Abels), and written and produced songs for numerous pop, rock, R&B, soul, and musical theatre artists (including Aaron Lazar's star-studded Impossible Dream). He serves as Vice President of the Society of Composers & Lyricists and Past President of the Academy of Scoring Arts.

With a background in pop and jazz but schooled in the classical tradition, David has lived and studied all over the world, including the U.S., England, Italy, and Singapore. He studied classical piano and conducting at the University of North Texas, and during that time was a member of the award-winning Jazz Singers. Later seasons in Nashville and Los Angeles brought opportunities to tour, arrange, and produce for such diverse artists as vocal superstar Josh Groban, Grammy-winning singer Rebecca St. James, American Idol Katharine McPhee, Rachael Yamagata, Mark Ballas, Israel Houghton, Ginny Owens, Tori Kelly, and many others. His television writing includes theme music for Nick Jr’s Parental Discretion, Supreme Justice with Judge Karen, The Young Icons, and additional music for dozens of shows ranging from the animated Dreamworks series VeggieTales in the House, American Idol, Amish Mafia, FOX Football Daily, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, HBO’s Homeland, Pawn Stars, Say Yes to the Dress, The Sing-Off, So You Think You Can Dance, and many more. He has done sound design work for Big Fish Audio, PSP Audioware, MOTU, and Native Instruments. In addition to being a Grammy nominee, his music has hit the top 10 charts on TikTok, and has been part of projects receiving a Global Entertainment Marketing Academy (GEMA/ProMax) Gold and Bronze award, a Heartland Emmy nomination, and the Cleo Award shortlist.

David Tobin is an acclaimed composer, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor. He studied recorder and oboe at The Guildhall School of Music and then went on to do a degree in Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and a member of the Ivors Academy of Composers and Songwriters. He has 20 years of credits in Film, TV, Radio, Advertising, and theatre, in the UK and the U.S. With credits including This is Us, Ghosts, and Supersize Me 2, he is a regular face at many famous studios, including Abbey Road and Air Studios. His orchestrations have been played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Session Orchestra, and orchestras across Europe. David has a specialism in ancient music, including a large collection of period instruments. 

Over the last 14 years, David has built up a unique working relationship with Jeff Meegan. David and Jeff began working together in 2010. They cut their teeth on classic BBC Radio dramas, including The Count of Monte Cristo, The Barchester Chronicles, and the Émile Zola adaptation Blood, Sex and Money. Since then, they have written more than 1,000 works together for an enviable client list, including BBC, HBO, Audio Network, ITV, and Samuel Goldwyn. They have scored and composed for documentaries for film and TV, including Super Size Me 2, Bettany Hughes' Treasures of the World, and Multiple Geoffrey Baer PBS documentaries in the U.S. They most recently co-authored and mixed the score for the feature Daughter of the Bride with Academy Award® winner Marcia Gaye Harden and Aiden Quinn. They have worked together in London, Chicago, Nashville, New Orleans, and New York.

Devin Powers has been a musical force for 40 years, working as a producer and a composer with music on over 900 television series. Currently, his music can be heard on shows such as ABCs The Bachelor Franchise, Naked and Afraid, and The Amazing Race, to name a few.

Powers has recently turned his attention to trailer music, contributing music to campaigns for HBO’s His Dark Materials and Marvel’s Wakanda Forever. And he has all gone back to his roots, once a record Artist on Universal Records with his band The Vents, Devin’s passion for songwriting has him working with acclaimed country writers Gary Nicholson and Jeff Silbar, while also rocking the pop world with rising songwriters and producers Simon Jay and Luke Shrestha. He recently teamed with local Nashville artist and singing phenom Lockwood Barr on a full release, co writing and producing with his team.

Eddie Schwartz is best known for writing such classic hit songs as “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” recorded by Pat Benatar, “Don’t Shed A Tear” by Paul Carrack, and “The Doctor” by the Doobie Brothers, as well as some two hundred songs recorded and performed by artists such as Joe Cocker, Carly Simon, Robert Palmer, America, Jeffrey Osborne, Donna Summer, Rita Coolidge, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts and Mountain – among others.

As a record producer, he has enjoyed success with numerous projects, including the Doobie Brothers’ “Cycles” album, Paul Carrack’s “Groove Approved,” Rita Coolidge’s “Fire Me Back,” as well as his own recordings as an artist. Worldwide physical sales before the streaming era were well in excess of 65 million units, and that remarkable popularity of many of his songs continues on all formats to this day.

With roots in both the US and Canada, Eddie has won numerous JUNO, BMI, and SOCAN awards, including SOCAN’s prestigious Cultural Achievement award in 2020, and he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.

Eddie has served as President of the Songwriters Association of Canada, Chair of Fair Trade Music International, and was elected to six consecutive terms on the SOCAN Board and Executive Committee before moving to Nashville in 1997, where he graduated from the renowned Leadership Music program in 2000. He currently serves as President of the International Council of Music Creators (CIAM) based in Paris, and President of Music Creators North America (MCNA).

In 2013, Eddie was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.

EmmoLei Sankofa is an American composer, producer, and creative entrepreneur. In 2024, she earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Original Score for Film/TV for Hulu’s The Other Black Girl. EmmoLei’s credits include the Hulu feature Three Ways, Disney+’s Project CC, The Threads of Legacy: House of Aama PBS documentary, and Lizzo’s Emmy-winning Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, alongside a growing slate of narrative and documentary projects. EmmoLei also serves as Vice President of Outreach for the Alliance for Women Film Composers, championing representation and opportunity across the industry.

Esin Aydingoz is an emerging conductor and composer, active in a diverse range of work spanning animation, film, television, video games, and stage musicals. Originally from Istanbul, she moved to the United States to pursue her studies at Berklee College of Music, where she later served as the Assistant Chair of the Screen Scoring Department. In 2024, Esin earned a Grammy® nomination for her cello arrangement of the Rolling Stones' iconic "Paint It Black," featured in Tim Burton’s Emmy-winning Netflix series Wednesday. Her arrangement reached #1 on the Billboard Classical Charts.

Esin performed as music director and conductor for the first-ever U.S. national tours of Disney-Pixar’s Coco: Live-to-Film Concert (2023 & 2024) with Orquesta Fólclorica Nacional de México. She conducted The Lion King (both the 1994 and 2019 versions) live-to-picture in Istanbul and Ankara. Tapped by Academy Award-winning composer Justin Hurwitz, Esin conducted Lionsgate's La La Land in Concert with the Wordless Music Orchestra in Boston. As a frequent collaborator with Disney Concerts, Esin served as the assistant music director for Disney’s a cappella sensation, DCappella, created an orchestral medley for Disney+’s inaugural launch event in Turkey in 2022, where she also performed as a pianist, and arranged & produced 10 tracks for various Disney Peaceful Piano albums. She recently conducted the string sessions for three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej's newest album, GANDHI: Mantras for Compassion.

Esin’s debut feature film score for Simchas and Sorrows was nominated for the prestigious David Raksin Award for Emerging Talent from the Society of Composers & Lyricists. Her score for the highly praised drama, She Taught Love, received widespread recognition following its theatrical release and is currently streaming on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ internationally. She contributed additional music to Apple TV’s SEE, Netflix’s Blood Origin and Princess Power, Hallmark’s One Summer and Presence of Love, and is currently scoring her first AA-level video game, Olpamis.

Fletcher Beasley is the Director of Post Production - Music for Marvel Studios, where he oversees the music production for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Prior to his work as a music executive, Fletcher was a composer for film, television, commercials, video games, and interactive exhibits for over thirty years. A pioneering video game composer, Fletcher began his career writing music for game consoles such as the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. He taught courses on film composition and audio production at Cal State Long Beach, Chapman University, Santa Monica College, and for UCLA Extension’s Film Scoring Program, where he was named 2015 Outstanding Instructor. He is a former board member of the Society of Composers & Lyricists.

Geoff Duncan is a producer and songwriter from New Zealand now living in Nashville, TN. Songs Geoff has written and produced have amassed over 120 million streams and achieved Billboard’s #1 Christian album chart status (twice). He produced and co-wrote the TikTok hit “Ooh La La,” which amassed an incredible 6.4 billion views. Music Geoff has written and produced has appeared on placements for global brands such as Ubisoft, Jeep, Samsung, ESPN, NBA, HBO, and MLB, among many others. Artists he has collaborated with include Nightbirde, Armin Van Buuren, Nicky Romero, Martin Garrix, Dash Berlin, Zayde Wolf, Sam Tinnesz, Yachtmoney, Newsboys, and many more. Geoff is passionate about chasing the emotion of a song: “after all, the only thing that really matters is how it makes you feel when it is coming out of the speakers.”

Gina Zimmitti is a music contractor and L.A. native who now splits her time between California and Tennessee. Gina began work in film scoring alongside esteemed contractors Patti Zimmitti & Debbi Datz-Pyle. Nearly three decades into her career, she still feels privileged to collaborate with talent old and new and to help shape the sound of the score by inviting the right people into the right rooms. She is thankful for the journey thus far and is excited to continue investing in the longevity and vibrancy of film music in innovative ways. Gina is a proud mother to two amazing daughters and wife to builder/designer Anthony. She’s often found out on a trail, in the kitchen mastering the recipes of her Italo/Greek heritage, or these days, on a plane! 

Zimmitti Music Group is a second-generation team that provides music production services for feature films, streaming platforms, television, video games, records, and live concerts. 

ZMG is a female-owned business with over thirty years of experience. With creatively staffed offices in Los Angeles, CA, and Nashville, TN, ZMG offers comprehensive support to composers and production companies. ZMG contracts the most skillful and experienced session musicians in the industry, manages composer scoring packages & music production budgets, and liaises closely with leading vocal contractors, scoring engineers, orchestrators, music preparation teams, and recording studios. ZMG is able to provide personalized direction and unique industry connections for each project — equipping every composer with the best opportunities and personnel available in Los Angeles and Nashville. 

Production clients include: Walt Disney Pictures, Disney+, Twentieth Century Fox Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures, CBS Studios, Universal Pictures, MGM Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Netflix, Formosa Interactive, and Amazon Studios. 

Composer clients include:  Michael Abels, Michael Andrews, Chris Bacon, Jon Brion, Sherri Chung, Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna, Danny Elfman, Germaine Franco, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Blake Neely, Dustin O’Halloran, Steven Price, Dan Romer, Jeff Russo, Theodore Shapiro, Alan Silvestri, Rob Simonsen, Pinar Toprak, and Joseph Trapanese.

Jay Weigel is a Grammy®-winning composer/producer and distinguished conductor, arranger, orchestrator, and contractor for music in media and live events. With his locations in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Nashville, Weigel’s scores and soundtracks can be heard in major studio films as well as documentaries and independent productions. Jay has collaborated as orchestrator, conductor, and contractor for George S. Clinton, Christopher Young, David Wingo, John Swihart, Christopher Lennertz, and Terence Blanchard. Recently, Jay arranged the works of Big Freedia and the Lost Bayou Ramblers for concerts with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and the recording garnered a 2024 Grammy. Jay’s musical direction and arrangement of  Paul Williams’ music was performed by singers Nella Rojas, Sam DeRosa, and Joshua Radin at the Guild of Music Supervisor’s Icon Award® presentation. Other career highlights include work with Pharrell Williams, PJ Morton, REM, Andra Day, Tank and the Bangas, Jon Cleary, Chris Thomas King, Juvenile, Keala Settle, and Judith Owen. Jay chairs The Society of Composers and Lyricists’ Nashville Chapter.

He has worked as an orchestrator, conductor, contractor and/or score preparer for composers such as George S. Clinton, Christopher Young, David Wingo, Jon Swihart, Christopher Lennertz and Terence Blanchard. As an arranger and orchestrator, he has worked with artists such as Andra Day, REM, Tank and the Bangas, Richard Dreyfus, Chevy Chase, Andy McDowell, Chris Thomas King, Jon Cleary and Judith Owen. 

Currently he is working with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra on orchestral arrangements for upcoming performances Big Freedia, The Lost Bayou Ramblers.

His concert work has been commissioned by numerous orchestras and organizations, including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Louis Cathedral, University of Southern Mississippi Symphony, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, and the Acadiana Symphony. Most recently, he premiered his orchestral work Water’s Gravity which was a follow up commission from his A New Orleans Concerto, for Orchestra.

Jim Hill started playing in the school orchestra during middle school and high school and learned how to read music. This began a passion for music and sound. He started working in a recording studio right after college in the 1980s. He was taught every aspect of audio engineering during his tenure at this studio and supplemented his knowledge by taking courses at UCLA in Acoustics and Digital Technology. During this time, he mostly worked on records with many different artists and bands. In the early 90s, he started working on various movie and television scores as a mixer. In 1996, he was hired to work exclusively with James Newton Howard on projects, which began his experience in learning to work with large orchestras. In 2005, Jim decided to work independently and started to create his client list. This resulted in him working with many different composers and continued work with JNH. Some of his clients include Jeff Rona (and some of the other composers at Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control), Dave Carbonara (who we worked with on every episode of Mad Men), Abel Korzeniowski, Fil Eisler, Mark Isham, and many more. He has experience working in many studios in the U.S. and around the world.

Besides working on film and TV scores, Jim has worked as a producer/mixer on many rock, pop, and classical records, library and trailer music, and has experience with almost every genre of music. He also has experience mastering records as well. Jim relocated to Nashville from Los Angeles a few years ago and very happily continues his work there.

John Debney is considered one of the most prolific and successful composers in Hollywood. He has won three Emmys® and been nominated for seven. He is also an Academy Award® nominee, and the youngest recipient of ASCAP’s prestigious Henry Mancini Lifetime Achievement Award.

Debney earned his B.A. in Music Composition from California Institute of the Arts in 1979, and after four years immersing himself in the business at Disney Studios, he made a professional entry into the industry, working with Steven Spielberg and Mike Post on shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Tiny Tunes, and Sea Quest DSV. Debney continued his hands-on training, working with Hanna-Barbera composer Hoyt Curtin.

Debney’s first big film break came in 1997 with an offer to work on Liar Liar with director Tom Shadyac. With the success of this blockbuster comedy under his belt, Debney went on to work on a variety of different major films, including Elf, Iron Man 2, Spy Kids (1 & 2), and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Debney and Shadyac continued to collaborate, going on to do Bruce Almighty in 2003 and the spinoff Evan Almighty together. In 2005, Debney formed a successful partnership with director Robert Rodriguez, creating scores for his movies Sin City and Machete.

Although Debney was widely known within the industry as a versatile and talented composer, the world wouldn’t discover him until he composed the landmark score for Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Enticed by the idea of working on a project that held deep, spiritual meaning for him, Debney’s score, which blended symphonic orchestra, a wide range of world instruments, and the beauty of the human voice, connected on an emotional level with viewers and listeners, and rose to #1 on Billboard’s charts for Soundtrack and Christian Albums and #19 on the Billboard Top 200. The record was certified gold by the RIAA and won the Dove Award® for Best Instrumental Album, as well as garnering Debney an Oscar nomination. 

Shortly after the movie's release, Debney premiered The Passion of the Christ Symphony in Rome, Italy, a highly successful performance featuring an 83-person choir and a 96-piece orchestra, plus solo musicians and guest vocalists from both the film and the classical worlds, which received a 15-minute standing ovation from the audience. In the tradition of classical composers, Debney enjoys conducting his own work and has conducted some of the world’s greatest orchestras.

Debney’s most commercially successful work to date is Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau, released in 2016. Favreau and Debney have worked on a variety of films together, including Elf, Zathura, Iron Man 2, and The Jungle Book. Among John Debney’s other most recent works are scores for Draft Day, Stoneheart Asylum, and HISTORY’s Emmy-nominated Hatfields & McCoys, as well as HISTORY’s most recent mini-series Houdini, and A&E mini-series Bonnie & Clyde.

Jonathan Grow is a pianist and composer who began picking apart songs from the radio, teaching himself the piano, and telling his own stories through song at the age of eleven.

Raised in choirs and live performance, he continued singing and writing throughout his time at university. He worked as a staff writer, session vocalist, background vocalist, and pianist after moving to Nashville in 1996. Since then, his work has been recorded and performed in venues ranging from liturgical settings to arenas, and published in choral songbooks.

Always striving to bring the melodic stories that he has heard in his head and heart to life, he continues to study and practice the art of orchestral composition, inspired by film composers like Thomas Newman, Alan Silvestri, Dario Marianelli, classical composers such as Edward Elgar and Claude Debussy, as well as numerous other influences.

As a freelance composer, he works in production music and composition for TV/film and advertising. You can hear his work in shows such as Love Transit, My Mum, Your Dad, and Ferne McCann: First Time Mum, as well as shows like NFL Total Access and Good Morning Football.   

His newest project centers around telling stories for Dramedy and Light Mystery, and was released in October 2024.

He lives near Nashville, where he does additional work for the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) and serves on the steering committee for SCL Nashville. He chairs the Seminar Committee for the SCL Nashville Chapter.    

Keith Mason is the Coordinator of Music Technology for Belmont University’s College of Music and Performing Arts. He joined the Belmont faculty in 1998 where he teaches courses and develops curriculum in the areas of digital musicianship with a focus on music for media. Keith has more than 38 years of experience in the Nashville music industry where he has served as a label director, creative director, consultant, and staff producer for various production companies. He has also been a professional consultant for many educational institutions in assisting with program and curriculum development in the areas of music technology in education.

As a professional music producer, musician, composer, arranger, and digital musician, Keith has produced music for numerous advertising agencies, record labels, and publishers. His productions have won numerous awards from Advertising Federations as well as being the executive producer for the GMA Dove Award Winning album Sing Me to Sleep, Daddy.

Keith has been an active member for CMS (College Music Society), TI:ME (Technology Institute for Music Educators) and ATMI (Association of Technology in Music Instruction), The GenNext program (a collaboration between NAMM and The College Music Society), and the MIDI Association’s “MIDI in Music Education” committee. He also serves on the steering committee for the Nashville Chapter of The Society of Composers & Lyricists.

Kenny Greenberg is a guitar player, producer, and songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. His studio, House of Greenberg, serves as a home base not only for Kenny but for all the artists he produces and plays guitar for.

Kenny’s credits and accolades include: producer and musical director of the current CMT concert series, Skyville Live; writer of the Skyville Live theme song; writer and producer of the closing credits song to the Liam Neeson film Ice Road; 3-time Grammy® award-winning producer; writer of four number one songs; 2012 Academy of Country Music® Guitarist of the Year; and Producer of the Academy Award®-nominated song “Soft Place to Fall” for the film Horse Whisperer. Kenny has worked with many of country’s top artists, including Kenny Chesney, Willie Nelson, Taylor Swift, Wynona, Miranda Lambert, Elle King, and Faith Hill. His guitar work has been included on projects with Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt, Amy Grant, Buddy Guy, Jewel, Etta James, and many more.

Kris Ahrend is the Chief Executive Officer of The MLC, where he leads the organization in its mission to ensure songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers receive their mechanical royalties from streaming and download services in the U.S. accurately and on time. Under his direction, The MLC has achieved total royalties distributed of over $3 billion and grown membership to over 60,000 Members to date. In recognition of the organization’s impact under his leadership, The MLC received the Music Business Association’s 2024 Impact Award for Technological Excellence, honoring its innovative approach to solving challenges in the modern music industry. In 2025, the MLC was also named one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, underscoring its continued commitment to technological and operational excellence.

Before joining The MLC, Kris served as the President of U.S. Shared Services for Warner Music Group (WMG), where he led the development and launch of WMG’s Center of Excellence for Shared Services in Nashville and oversaw the operations of fifteen different functional teams providing a variety of administrative, financial, and legal services to WMG’s U.S.-based publishing teams, record labels, and corporate divisions. Prior to launching the Center of Excellence, Ahrend served as the Head of Business & Legal Affairs for WMG’s catalog label, Rhino Records, in Los Angeles, and then led a large legal, financial, and administrative shared services organization within WMG that he helped to create.

Kris started working in the music industry in New York City, where he held positions in the Law Department at Sony Music and then the Business and Legal Affairs Department at Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

A graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the Washington & Lee School of Law, Kris began his legal career as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He then spent several years in private practice, working in the New York office of the international law firm, Simpson Thacher. 

Ahrend is a respected and recognized leader in the music industry. In 2021, he was named to Billboard magazine’s list of Change Agents, which honored leaders in the music community who led by both advocacy and example during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also received an Indie Spirit Award in 2021 from the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) in recognition of his contributions to the independent music publishing community. In 2022, Ahrend was named to Billboard magazine’s Power List, and in 2023 and 2024, and 2025, he was named to Nashville Post’s In Charge annual list of the most influential people in the music industry.

Kris is a proud member of the Nashville business community, where he serves on the boards of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Downtown Partnership and on the Executive Committee of the Recording Academy’s Entertainment Law Initiative. A lifelong musician, Ahrend resides in Nashville with his wife, Karen, and two sons.

Lauren Conklin is a composer known for her organic textures, emotional melodies, and lush strings. She began composing full-time in 2019 after landing her first feature film, As Real As You Make It, produced by American Pantheon (directed by Joseph Nelms), which is now streaming on Amazon. She has also scored feature films Abigail (American Pantheon/Joseph Nelms) and Life and Death (Chameleon Film Studios), as well as the winning short from Nashville’s 48 Hour Film Festival, An Immersive Guide to Pruning (Lux & Vayll). She was a featured composer in the 2023 LunART Festival and a member of the 2022-2023 SCL Mentor Program.

Lauren began her career as a touring strings and utility player and has performed at venues from the Royal Albert Concert Hall to the Grand Ole Opry and on television programs including The Colbert Show, the CMT Awards, and The Today Show. Her sound combines classical orchestration with world folk influences as she draws upon the musical cultures she visited and studied during her time touring internationally. In addition to scoring films, Lauren has arranged and recorded strings for artists such as Lukas Graham, Russel Dickerson, Kylie Morgan, Skylar Astin, Girl Named Tom, and New Hope Club.

Lauren Lucas is a soulful storyteller whose voice—rich, warm, and rooted in the South—has taken her from Broadway to the Grand Ole Opry, from hit records to headline tours, and now, to your TV screen. A Tony® Award-nominated composer and Academy of Country Music (ACM)® Award-nominated recording artist, Lauren was part of the composing team—led by Keb’ Mo’—behind the original score for Leanne, Netflix’s new comedy series starring Leanne Morgan. She brings her voice to the forefront as the vocalist on the show’s main title theme. She also lent her background vocals on Room on the Porch, the Billboard #1 Blues album by legendary artists Taj Mahal and Keb’Mo’. No stranger to the spotlight, Lauren’s music has been heard on ABC, on Broadway (Urban Cowboy), and in numerous films. Her songs have been recorded by artists like Danielle Peck (Big Machine/SiriusXM Y2Country), Damien Horne (Circle TV), and Risa Binder. As a vocalist, she’s lent her soulful sound to high-profile campaigns, including a duet with Keb’ Mo’ for the Canadian National Railroad’s international marketing launch. Lauren’s touring life has taken her across the U.S. and Europe, sharing stages with everyone from Blake Shelton and Kenny Chesney to Old Dominion, The Bacon Brothers (Kevin & Michael), Randy Houser, and Maia Sharp. She also spent nearly three years touring and recording as part of the all-female Americana group Farewell Angelina—praised by Rolling Stone as one of the “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know.” Today, along with writing and recording music for her own projects and for film & TV, Lauren teaches songwriting at Belmont University, helping the next generation of artists find their voice.

Leonard Wolf is a thirty-year veteran in composing, sound design, audio engineering, and mixing for all media. He has won 4 Emmys®, many advertising awards, and took top music honors in the Philadelphia Terror Festival for the Lionsgate Feature Side Show, for which he also did foley and sound design. In advertising, Wolf’s scores have been heard in almost every sort of award-winning spot. Most recently, he won “Best Song” from the Festigious LA International Film Festival in July 2020.

As a songwriter, he has had songs cut by Vince Gill, Della Reese, Gospel great Shirley Ceasar, Jazz singer Jaimee Paul, and many others, both here and in Europe.

As a professional musician or engineer, Leonard has worked with a wide variety of artists, including Garth, Reba, Dr. Hook, Don Everly, Donna Summer, Frankie Lane, Lynn Anderson, Lee Greenwood, Billy Crystal, The Diamonds, Bill Medley, Pam Tillis, and Tiny Tim. He also creates demos for songwriters and artists in many genres.

He is equally at home with an orchestra, as a solo pianist, a Gospel choir, or as a one-man rock band playing guitar, bass, and drums. Working alone and armed only with a laptop, he can compose, sound design, perform, edit video, and mix anywhere in the world.

Marc Rucker is an Associate Director at SoundExchange on the Artists & Industry Relations team. He is responsible for establishing and building key artist, management, and content owner relationships while helping to raise the profile of SoundExchange and deepen creator engagement in Nashville and beyond.

A passionate ally to the creative community, Marc has been embedded in the music industry for 15 years, with experience in artist management, business management, publishing, and innovation. Before joining SoundExchange, he managed the careers of multiple successful recording artists. Marc helped co-found Young Entertainment Professionals, and to enrich the relationship between sports and music, he has consulted on live entertainment productions in major sports venues. He also participated in the charity boxing match Rumble on The Row and is an active learner and participant in the AI, web3, and Music NFT ecosystems.

Marcelo Zarvos' subtle stylistic nuances as a composer are exemplified in his recent scores for Hulu’s Good American Family, Netflix’s critically acclaimed The Diplomat, May December directed by Todd Haynes, and Nonnas starring Vince Vaughn. Zarvos’ musical training began by studying classical music, followed by exploring jazz, rock, and world music. This expansion inspired Zarvos to create his trademark sound – a seamless blend of classical, orchestral, rock, electronic, and various ethnic elements, including his Brazilian roots, which fueled emotionally charged music for film, TV, and the concert stage.

Zarvos began his music studies at CalArts. At this institution, he expanded his knowledge of classical piano studies with jazz and world music. In addition to music, CalArts was an opportunity for Zarvos to grow his artistic background with non-music studies, including dance, art history, and film. After developing a deeper understanding of all aspects of filmmaking, Zarvos burst onto the film landscape in the early 2000s with his score for Kissing Jessica Stein and the film adaptation of the John Irving novel, The Door in the Floor. Zarvos’ credits include The Good Shepherd, The Words, 

Brooklyn’s Finest, The Face of Love, Reaching for the Moon, Sin Nombre, Hollywoodland, Adult Beginners, The Humbling, Little Accidents, American Ultra, and Enough Said.

With his layered motifs and emotive undertones, Zarvos became the go-to composer for filmmakers including Todd Haynes (May December, Dark Waters), Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer 3, The Guilty, Emancipation), Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said, Please Give), Tod Williams (The Door in the Floor), Ross Katz (The Choice), Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre) and Barry Levinson, (The Humbling, You Don’t Know Jack, Rock the Kasbah).

Zarvos’ television scores have received accolades. He was twice Emmy®-nominated for You Don’t Know Jack and Taking Chance. His other television credits include The Affair, Ray Donovan, Too Big to Fail, the HBO movie Phil Spector, the Amazon series One Mississippi, Z: The Beginning Of Everything, and the limited series The Romanoffs for Amazon.

Mark Evitts is an Emmy® Award-winning American composer, songwriter, musician, and producer working across the television, film, and music industries. Most recently, Mark served as composer and songwriter for the Apple TV+ series, Frog and Toad, based on the best-selling children’s book. Frog and Toad won Best Music Direction and Composition for an Animated Program at the 3rd Annual Children’s and Family Emmy Awards.

Following his early career work as a road musician playing with country music artists, Mark has established himself as a versatile songwriter and composer. His songwriting credits include co-writing Nas' single "Brunch on Sundays” from the Grammy®-nominated album "King's Disease II" and The Game's single "Violence."

In addition to his songwriting and composing work, Mark has served as an arranger and musician on several hit television shows, such as NBC's SMASH, notably on the Emmy-nominated song "Voice In A Dream.” Other projects he has contributed to creatively include ABC’s The Bachelor, Blood and Oil, and Nashville, BBC One's documentary Love In A Day, and SVT's award-winning documentary series Jill's Veranda. He has also contributed additional music to the score of the Netflix feature Arlo the Alligator Boy and MAX’s Batwheels.

Mark has also performed on prestigious stages worldwide, including The Grand Ole Opry and Carnegie Hall, as well as being a featured panelist at San Diego ComicCon. He has developed a unique sound that he incorporates into his own projects and has provided samples of these authentic sounds to create music software and virtual instrument companies like Output's Arcade. 

Mark graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Composition for Film, Television, and Gaming from Berklee College of Music. He has also studied character development and comedy at The Groundlings, a comedy theater in Los Angeles.

Michael Abels is the Pulitzer Prize-winning co-composer of the opera Omar who is best known for his genre-defying scores for the Jordan Peele films Get Out, Us, and Nope. The score for Us won a World Soundtrack Award, the Jerry Goldsmith Award, a Critics' Choice nomination, and was named “Score of the Decade” by The Wrap. The score for Nope was also shortlisted for the Best Original Score Oscar®. Last year, he scored the Disney+ series Star Wars: The Acolyte, for which Abels co-wrote the original song “The Power of Two” with Grammy-winners Victoria Monet and D’Mile. The score for The Acolyte earned an NAACP Image Award. Most recently, he scored the Netflix limited series Sirens starring Julianne Moore.

Abels’ creative output also includes many concert works, including the choral song cycle “At War with Ourselves” for the Kronos Quartet, the Grammy-nominated “Isolation Variation” for Hilary Hahn, and “Frederick’s Fables,” currently available on the Cedille label. Abels’ concert music has been performed by the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and many others. Recent commissions include “Emerge” for the National Symphony, the guitar concerto “Borders” for Grammy-nominated artist Mak Grgic, and “Unbound,” a symphonic tribute to Olympic champion Jesse Owens. His upcoming projects include commissions for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Guitar Foundation of America. Abels is the Composer-In-Residence for the Detroit Symphony for the 2025-2026 season.

Abels is a frequent university guest lecturer and was the commencement speaker for the USC Thornton School of Music for 2024. Abels is also co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective, an advocacy group working to increase visibility of composers of color in film, gaming, and streaming media.

Michelle Silverman has always had a passion for music. Her successful career in music supervision is a direct reflection of her deep understanding of and keen ear for memorable songs and talented artists. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Michelle attended Southwestern Law School and passed the California Bar Exam. After making her start in the Music Department at ICM, Michelle went on to form TriTone Music, a boutique music supervision company, with partners in the music industry. TriTone was an immediate success with projects like Jackie Brown, From Dusk Til Dawn, Copland, and Kill Bill, as well as a platinum record for the compilation South Park album. This success was highlighted in a cover story for the Los Angeles Times Calendar Section, and also led to a music publishing deal with DreamWorks.

Branching out on her own, Michelle established ModernPlanet Music, a full service music supervising company specializing in film, television and commercials. As founder and CEO of ModernPlanet, Michelle brings her vast knowledge of music and film as well as her long-term relationships and expansive network of professionals across studios, music labels and publishing companies to her numerous successful projects. Projects include the DC Comics film Aquaman and TV shows Cobra Kai, Mayans MC, Interview With A Vampire and upcoming series The Abandons. Her resume features more than 80 projects, including Prison Break, Sons of Anarchy, The Exorcist and Wet Hot American Summer, as well as high profile ad campaigns for Adidas, The Gap, Verizon and the NBA. Music producers she’s worked with include Rick Rubin, George Drakoulias, Bob Thiele and Randy Jackson. Michelle has been awarded the honor of Best Music Supervisor twice at the HMMA Awards, and she’s an active member of The Guild of Music Supervisors, BAFTA, NARAS and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Mikhaila Smith is a South African composer and pianist based in New York City, known for her diverse contributions to film, the concert hall, and interdisciplinary art. Her most recent work includes her score to feature film Carissa, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2024. She was also the featured composer at the renowned Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in 2023, where her commissioned work, Lighting Our Stories, had its world premiere. 

Smith’s interdisciplinary collaborations are notable, including her work with South African artist Mia Thom on installations such as Soil Lullaby, Attune, and Idée Fixe. Her music has been exhibited in Galerie im Körnerpark in Berlin, JAG in Johannesburg, Everard Read in Cape Town, and at various festivals, demonstrating her ability to merge music with visual art. Currently signed to Platoon, Smith is set to release her debut solo piano album NOIR in September 2025. She was recently featured in Glamour Magazine as part of the "Disruptors" Issue for Youth Month in South Africa, where she shared her musical journey. 

She is an orchestrator for Joy Music House, to which she is credited on scores such as Netflix’s Look Both Ways (Ian Hultquist and Drum & Lace), Disney’s Rosaline (Ian Hultquist and Drum & Lace), and HBO Max’s Edge of the Earth (Tyler Strickland), amongst others. Smith is an alumnus of the SCL New York Mentor Program and currently works for the organization as the social media manager of the New York Chapter. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in concert composition from the University of Cape Town and a Master’s degree in film scoring from New York University, where her unique voice emerged, blending traditional techniques with modern sensibilities to create a distinctive sound. 

Smith’s artistic world involves storytelling, collaborating with other artists, and immersing herself in worlds beyond this one through the powerful and expressive medium of music.

Nainita Desai is a composer whose recent work spans high-profile TV dramas, feature documentaries, and AAA games, including Nautilus, all three seasons of ITV’s The Tower, and EA’s acclaimed Tales of Kenzera: Zau. On the festival circuit, she is celebrated for the Sundance craft-winning Nocturnes (Cinema Eye nominee) and Hulu’s The Contestant. Other credits include BBC One’s Crossfire, Sky’s Funny Woman, StudioCanal’s Something in the Water, and landmark natural history series The Wild Ones (Apple TV+), Earthsounds, James Cameron’s Ocean Xplorers, Secrets of the Penguins, and Predators (Netflix).

Desai’s acclaimed documentary work includes the Oscar-nominated and BAFTA/Cannes-winning For Sama, Netflix’s 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (Primetime Emmy nomination), Body Parts (Emmy nomination), and A24/Netflix’s The Deepest Breath. She has scored multiple #1 Netflix documentaries, from American Murder: The Family Next Door to What Jennifer Did. Her music has been performed by leading orchestras at festivals including Film Music Krakow, WSA Ghent, MOSMA Malaga, the Camille Awards in Paris, and SXSW London 2025.

Other projects include her solo album Tessellation, created for a large-scale permanent installation in California. In games and interactive storytelling, she is celebrated for collaborations with Sam Barlow on BAFTA-winning Telling Lies and Immortality, and is currently scoring a multi-year international installation alongside new AAA franchises.

Born in London to Indian parents, Desai’s eclectic upbringing saw her study sitar, piano, guitar, tabla, violin, and voice before earning a mathematics degree and training in sound design at the National Film and Television School. She worked on films for Bernardo Bertolucci and Werner Herzog and as an assistant engineer for Peter Gabriel. Her emotionally immersive scores fuse custom-built instruments, vintage synths, found sounds, and global influences into unique sonic worlds rooted in the emotional truth of the story.

Nina Ossoff is an innovative music creator and educator. She is also a multigenre, multiplatinum songwriter who has enjoyed popularity and success for three decades in the domestic and international music markets. Her music has appeared in hit films including Miss Congeniality, top television shows like Hillary Duff and Lizzy McGuire, international sporting event broadcasts such as the NFL Football Playoffs and World Cup Soccer, and on Chart-topping albums, including the #1 International Dance Hit “Reach” and the mega-hit Chris Daughtry recording “Crashed.”

Through her longstanding success in the music industry, Ms. Ossoff has been enabled over a similarly enduring period to bring her unique talent, experience, and perspective to her other great professional love, teaching. Over the past twenty years, she has taught music and musical composition to students ranging in ages from pre-school to college, at institutions that include the Home School/Camp Mohawk in White Plains, NY, the National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame, Sleepy Hollow High School (grant program educator), New York University and Montclair State University (guest lecturer), and Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY (guest educator at her alma mater, from which she earned a BA in Music in 1980). She is especially adept at engendering enthusiasm in students for musical composition, encouraging them to use their life and school experience (including classroom learning) to guide their lyrical and musical development.In addition to her formal teaching experience, Nina has also appeared as a panelist in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville for the Songwriters Guild of America, Women in Music, ASCAP, and the National Academy of Songwriters, as well as at the International Creators’ Conference in Singapore and the International Music Conference MIDEM in Cannes, France, to name just a few of her dozens of educational panel appearances throughout the world. She has also performed as a singer at hundreds of venues throughout the United States.

Nina lives and works in the greater New York City area, with an office and home in Briarcliff Manor, NY.

Randy Wachtler is a gifted drummer, but production music is his first love. In 1984, he founded the renowned production music company 615 Music, and soon after, became one of the co-founders of the Production Music Association (PMA).

Always an innovator, Randy was among the first to create news music packages licensed exclusively to local markets. In 2010, after 615 Music was acquired by Warner Chappell, Randy became CEO of Warner Chappell Production Music.

By that time, 615 Music had earned more than 70 awards for excellence in music composition, including two national Emmy® Awards. Clients included NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, History Channel, A&E, Disney, Discovery Channel, Ford, Animal Planet, ESPN, ABC Sports, LA Lakers, PBS, Weather Channel, MSNBC, TLC, Family Channel, Tri-Star Pictures, Warner Bros. Domestic TV, Chicago Bulls, WGN-TV, and more than 500 local TV stations.

Randy is also a board member of AIMP-Nashville and has served on the boards of Leadership Music and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). Currently, Randy is the President of RJW Music & Consulting.

Russell Ziecker's journey in the music industry has been a dynamic and multi-faceted one. Commencing his career as a touring and session bass player in the vibrant musical landscape of Los Angeles, Ziecker's early experiences fostered a deep-rooted passion for music. Transitioning seamlessly into music publishing, he took on pivotal roles such as Creative Director at Chrysalis Music Group, spearheading the establishment of the New York office, and subsequently as VP Creative and Head of Acquisitions at Virgin Music America in Los Angeles. The foundation laid, he ventured to Portland, Oregon, founding the independent record and studio production company, URGE.

Returning to the heart of the industry in Los Angeles during the mid-1990s, Ziecker showcased his adeptness by managing esteemed major label artists and collaborating with film and television composers. His talents expanded to encompass music supervision for films as well. This period marked the genesis of his affiliation with Lionsgate, coinciding with the company's foray into television and music publishing. Ziecker assumed the mantle of Head of Television Music in 2005 and played a pivotal role in curating the sonic identities of a multitude of iconic Lionsgate TV productions, including acclaimed series such as Mad Men, Weeds, Nurse Jackie, and Orange is the New Black, among others. 

Ziecker's trajectory continued to ascend as he was entrusted with greater responsibilities. His appointment as the CEO of SYN America, a Tokyo-based commercial music house backed by Duran Duran's Simon LeBon, attested to his international acclaim. The canvas of his accomplishments further broadened as he took over the reins of the Starz Music department in 2017, assuming a central role in shaping the auditory landscapes of captivating shows like P-Valley, Power, Ghost, Raising Kanan, and more. Russell Ziecker's indelible footprint in the realms of music publishing, supervision, and television music direction reflects a lifetime dedicated to the harmonious convergence of creativity and entertainment.

Sabrina Hutchinson has been a driving force in the music and sound industries for 25 years, representing, elevating, and championing the composers and creators powering the sound of culture. In 2021, she launched Defiant Talent Management, a premier agency representing composers and music supervisors for television, film, and video games. Her roster includes Grammy® and Ivor Novello® winner Gordy Haab, two-time Emmy® Award-winning composer Carl Johnson, Emmy and Grammy winner David Schwartz, BAFTA winners Garry Schyman and Ross Tregenza, two-time World Soundtrack Award®-nominated composer Maclaine Diemer, and double platinum-selling composer P.T. Adamczyk, among others. Previously, Hutchinson was the visionary founder and leader of Defiant Public Relations, an award-winning entertainment PR firm renowned for its specialization in garnering top media coverage and producing events for composers, sound creators, music festivals, and more.

Her expertise and influence extend beyond her agency work. Hutchinson serves on the board of the Academy of Scoring Arts and previously held the role of Vice President of the Game Audio Network Guild, where she continues to serve as a board member. She has shared her insights as a lecturer at institutions including NYU, UCLA Extension, and Emerson College, and as a featured speaker at industry events including The Alliance for Women Film Composers’ New Class of Agents, The Game Developers Conference (GDC), and The Society of Composers and Lyricists.

Hutchinson’s passion for music and genuine desire to help those she believes in have been the catalyst for positive change in the careers of countless musicians, creatives, and brands. As an industry insider and superconnector, she is dedicated to achieving exceptional results for her clients, helping them forge powerful relationships and reach new audiences.

Satoshi Noguchi is a music mixer and engineer based in Nashville, Tennessee, specializing in film, television, video games, live production, and albums. After more than a decade in Los Angeles and New York City, the Seattle native has worked on a wide array of projects from blockbusters to independent features. He has extensive experience in studio recording and mixing worldwide, as well as live sound.

Select music mixing projects include: Everything Everywhere All At Once (Oscar winner for best picture), World of Mickey Mouse (Emmy nominated), Cat Burglar (Emmy winner), Elden Ring, Schmigadoon! (Emmy nominated miniseries), the album Eva Cassidy and the London Symphony Orchestra, Old, Roy G Biv (an installation at the Whitney Museum of American Art), The Personal History of David Copperfield (IFMCA winner), and Lion. In 2013 Satoshi was nominated for a CAS mixing award for Explosions in the Sky's score for Lone Survivor. From 2009 to 2013 Satoshi worked as a staff engineer at Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions where he worked on numerous blockbuster films.

Some recent clients include Christopher Willis, Son Lux, Joseph Trapanese, Austin Fischer, Rob Cantor, and Jonathan Sadoff. Recent film studio and record label clients include Disney, Apple+, Fromsoft, Paramount, Netflix, and Blix Street Records.

Steve Schnur has been a label and music publishing company president, music supervisor, professional musician, songwriter, composer, policy advocate, two-time Grammy®-winning producer, and more. He continues to change the game in the fields of music, movies, sports, and digital interactive entertainment around the world, while leading the fight for greater tolerance, diversity, and gender equality throughout the industry. 

As Worldwide President of Music & Marketing for EA Games since 2001, Steve is responsible for everything music-related – including soundtracks, original scores, trailers, commercials, events, publishing, and production – for the global leader in video game software and streaming content. For more than a generation, he has curated, crafted, and evolved music and marketing for such international cultural milestones as Madden NFL, FIFA/EA FC, Need For Speed, The Sims, Medal of Honor, Star Wars, Battlefield, Mass Effect, F1, EA SPORTS College Football, and beyond. Steve revolutionized the concept of commissioning original music for launch trailers to create viral cinematic events. And his hands-on approach to composer selection and production – as well as his commitment to live orchestration – has led to collaborations with such cutting-edge composers as Mark Mothersbaugh, Stephen Barton & Gordy Haab, Junkie XL, and Oscar® winners Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, Kris Bowers, and Hildur Guðnadóttir.

In 2012, Schnur founded the Creative Community for Peace, and in 2021, launched the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance. In February 2023, Berklee College of Music and EA announced the partnership – instituted and overseen by Schnur – that created The EA/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship. The program offers qualified women or non-cisgender student composers both a financial scholarship and the opportunity to be mentored by Schnur and his EA Music team. Steve is also creator/curator of EA Day, an annual Berklee event that brings together the most prominent women composers in entertainment to share insights, exchange ideas, and act as role models for the next generation.

Steve is the recipient of over 200 awards and honors for contributions to gaming, music and entertainment, including recognitions from Billboard, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, The Guild of Music Supervisors, The Society of Composers & Lyricists, The Hollywood Music In Media Awards, The International Game Developers Association, The Clio Awards, and The California Copyright Conference’s Apollo Award. He is the 2024 Recipient of Game Audio Network Guild's (G.A.N.G.) Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2024 Grammy Award for ‘Best Score Soundtrack For Video Games And Other Interactive Media’ for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and the 2025 Grammy for ‘Best Audiobook, Narration, and Storytelling Recording’ for Former President Jimmy Carter’s Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration. 

Taura Stinson is a Birmingham-born, Oakland-raised, and LA-based Oscar, Golden Globe, and Emmy®-nominated songwriter and composer. Her credits include Thelma the Unicorn, Rio 2, Carmen, Cruella, Beyond the Lights, and Blitz, with songs co-written alongside Nicholas Britell, Raphael Saadiq, and Brittany Howard, among others. She notably penned music for Men in Black, Mudbound, Don’t Look Up, and STEP, and has worked on various TV series, including Harlem, Reasonable Doubt, The L Word: Generation Q, and Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur, for which she wrote the theme song.

Her work spans artists from Mary J. Blige and Paloma Faith to Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Destiny’s Child. Early in her career, Taura wrote the Grammy®-nominated song “Show Me the Way” for Earth, Wind & Fire, as well as the chart topping-cult classic “Gangsta Lean” for DRS and “I’m Leavin,” the #1 Billboard Dance Hit for Lisa Stansfield. Taura also lent backing vocals and arrangements to the hit song “Bang-Bang” by Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, and Ariana Grande, as well as various recording artists, including Ryan Bingham, Tori Kelly, Elton John, Patti LaBelle, and Stevie Wonder.

Beyond music, she has served as an A&R, mentor, and currently holds leadership roles as chair of the Black Caucus Affinity Group at AMPAS and as a board member of the Alliance for Women Film Composers. She is also the founder of Believe Become Books and the author of 100 Things Every Black Girl Should Know.

With two original music-driven series in development, Taura is translating her gift for soulful, impactful storytelling into television and film — cementing her place as a visionary across mediums.

Teri Nelson Carpenter is a music industry veteran. Her executive experience includes a background in performing rights management and overseeing major studio and network television music departments. Ms. Carpenter’s experience in creating, protecting, and monetizing music copyrights is well known and has earned her the highest level of respect worldwide. Ms. Carpenter is currently the President & CEO of Reel Muzik Werks, LLC, which is an innovative full-service independent music publisher specializing in music for Film & TV and international rights management. RMW provides Global Writer/Publisher Administration, Licensing & Clearance, and Music Supervision for all Media. RMW services include management of Performance, Mechanical, Neighboring, and Secondary Rights. As the executive in charge of network television music at Fox Family Worldwide/Saban Entertainment, Ms. Carpenter was responsible for overseeing the Fox Family/Saban's global music business. Prior to that, Ms. Carpenter served as a Music Administration & Production Executive at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM Studios). Before that, she was the Director of Music at Academy Award® Winning Indie Company, Hemdale Film Corp. Ms. Carpenter began her career at Broadcast Music Inc. in Film/TV relations. She spent much of her time at BMI working directly with composers, publishers, and content creators in providing assistance with their global performing rights concerns. 

Ms. Carpenter is also an in-demand speaker at conferences around the globe, including SXSW in Austin, TX; Canadian Music Week in Toronto; the AIMP Indie Music Publishing Summit in New York City; NATPE, Miami; Music Biz Nashville; All About Music in Mumbai, India; Output Belfast Music Conference; IMRO’s Business of Music Seminar Dublin, Ireland, AEDEM in Barcelona, Spain, MIDEM, Cannes France and Vancouver International Film Festival emphasizing her status as a key member of the international music community. She was recently tapped by the U.S. State Department to be a mentor and speaker at the Global Entrepreneur Summit in Hyderabad, India, whose theme “Women First, Prosperity for All” involved women from over 160 countries. 

Ms. Carpenter holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance & Composition from Cal State Long Beach, where she graduated with honors. Her postgraduate studies included extension courses at UCLA in International Business, and she is also a recurring guest lecturer in the music department at UCLA. Ms. Carpenter is a recent two-term President of the California Copyright Conference and Finance Chair of the Board of Directors of the Copyright Alliance in Washington, D.C. Currently, Ms. Carpenter serves as a member of the Independent Publishers Advisory Counsel for the NMPA. She is also the LA Chapter President and former National Chair of the Association of Independent Music Publishers and serves on the Executive Board of the Independent Music Publishers International Forum. Ms. Carpenter is a member of the Joint Project Lead at CISAC, which governs all X-Industry music projects. She is also an active member of the Society Publisher Foru,m where she lends her experience in many groups, including the A/V working groups along with serving on the Steering Committee & Working Group for CIS-Net a FastTrack / CISAC global music database project. Finally, Ms. Carpenter is a proud member of the Leadership Music Class of 2022.

Tim Lauer is an Emmy®-nominated songwriter, music producer, and composer whose decades-long career in Nashville, Tennessee, has spanned a multitude of genres and roles. He is currently working on ABC's Nashville 911 as a music producer and songwriter. In recent years, his work can be heard on shows such as the upcoming Murdaugh Murders (NBC), The Bondsman (Amazon) starring Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles, Big Sky (ABC) Netflix's Country Comfort (Composer, Main Title, Song Producer) CMT/ABC's Nashville (Executive Music Producer, Seasons 5-6), OWN's Greenleaf (Songwriter/Song Producer, Main Title), With Love, Book Club: The Next Chapter, Women of The Movement, A League of Their Own, and more.

Tim is no stranger to the collaborative nature of making music for picture. He has produced hundreds of pre-records for film and TV, including multi-cam comedy, music biopics, film, TV dramas, and advertisements. He has also arranged strings for Shania Twain, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton, Kaleo, Eliza and the Bear, Gavin DeGraw, The Smashing Pumpkins, Shawn Mendes, Wim Wenders, among many others.

In addition, Tim's songs have been featured in advertisements for BMW, Target, L'Oreal, Tiffany & Co., Coke, Sephora, and Microsoft, as well as for shows such as Carnival Row, The Stranger, One Tree Hill, Bones, Homeland, and Pretty Little Liars. His work in TV and film has earned him several ASCAP Screen Awards, and his contributions as a musician have garnered two ACM® award nominations for Keyboard Player of the Year.

He has amassed hundreds of credits as a session musician for artists such as Taylor Swift, The Struts, Mikky Ekko, Rodney Crowell, The Civil Wars, Keith Urban, Cheap Trick, Brad Paisley, Megadeth, Keb' Mo', Mickey Guyton, Luke Bryan, Lucinda Williams, Linda Ronstadt, and more. Lauer continues to build a long history of work with respected artists and musicians, and worked closely with Burt Bacharach on the arrangements for Burt's 2020 album Blue Umbrella, and also played piano.

Vivek Maddala is a 4-time Emmy®-winning composer, multi-instrumental performer, and music producer. He is a Sundance Institute Fellow for film scoring and has had work premiere at the Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, and Sundance film festivals. His music defies categorization and has been described paradoxically as “the bleeding edge of hip” (Roger Ebert) and "timeless and universal" (NPR).

In addition to scoring films, Vivek has produced music for a number of rock, jazz, and world music album releases, and his live performances collaborating with celebrated artists have enchanted audiences around the globe. As a performer, Vivek journeys fluidly through diverse musical styles and effortlessly between many instruments, including drums, piano, guitar, and bass. He has also served as a guest conductor with renowned orchestras and chamber groups, performing work he has written for ballets and films.

As a composer, Vivek has always sought to write music in the service of achieving social progress. His score for the Peabody Award-winning film American Revolutionary blends melodic chamber strings with expressive piano passages to frame the film's exploration of critical social movements seen through the lens of a revolutionary activist and philosopher. Vivek's brooding, passionate score for Children of Memory carefully fuses indigenous musical textures with his focused, yet sweeping compositional style to explore questions of how post-war societies can right the wrongs of the past. Accordingly, Vivek continues to seek out projects that lift the human spirit, challenge power structures, and elucidate the human condition. His works, extraordinarily diverse in style, stand out among contemporary compositions for their depth of expression, brilliance of sound, and profoundly compassionate nature.

Wayne Kirkpatrick is best known for his 1996 Grammy® Award-winning song of the year, “Change The World,” recorded by Babyface and Eric Clapton. What you may not know is that Wayne has had over 200 songs recorded in the last 30 years. He has enjoyed Pop, Country, R&B and CCM success with songs such as “Every Heartbeat” and “Good For Me” by Amy Grant, “Place In This World” by Michael W. Smith, as well as recordings by Don Henley, Wynonna, Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Tyler Hilton, Gabe Dixon, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Joe Cocker, Reba McEntire and The Wreckers (“My, Oh My”).

Wayne solely wrote Garth Brooks’ single “Wrapped Up In You” and penned the song used in the Garth Brooks’ Dr. Pepper commercial. He is also a writer on Bonnie Raitt’s singles “I Can’t Help You Now” and “I Will Not Be Broken” as well as “Take My Love With You” from her Grammy award-winning Slipstream album and had the first single from her album, Dig in Deep, entitled “Gypsy in Me.” He has produced and written on three Little Big Town records, yielding such top ten hits as “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “A Little More You,” and “Little White Church.” His songs have been featured in movies including Almost Famous, Phenomenon, and Bruce Almighty, as well as TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Hart of Dixie, True Blood, and Nashville. His song “When You Act” was written for and featured on an episode of the Netflix original series Julie’s Greenroom, performed by Julie Andrews and Alec Baldwin.

Wayne is also co-creator and co-composer/lyricist of the Broadway musical, Something Rotten!, which was nominated for 10 Tony® awards, including Best Score. He wrote songs for the Warner Bros. animated feature Smallfoot, and is a composer/lyricist for Mrs. Doubtfire, The Musical, his second Broadway production, currently playing in London’s West End. Wayne was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. A long time game enthusiast, he is also co-writing/producing/directing a documentary about the history of board games, which is on-going.